For the last 2 years I’ve been following my passion for the field of sports medicine and sports chiropractic. I’ve been traveling to the USA to gain my training and credentials as a Sports Chiropractor. Going abroad to learn is always such an enlightening experience and has allowed me to learn and develop unique sports chiropractic skills and techniques from some of the best and most knowledgeable sports medicine doctors in the world. After completing my board exams I’ve just received my CCSP (certified chiropractic sports physician/practitioner) giving me full qualifications as a Sports Chiropractor in Australia and overseas. A great start to 2018!

Aussie Jiu Jitsu pro showing a positive lift off test (positive = problem found). Can you push your hand off your back from this position? Unfortunately this guy can't as he has just torn his subscapularis (rotator cuff) muscle during competition . S3C

This is a video of left side foot drop . It occurs when the muscle in the front of the shin stops working and forgets to pull the foot up when walking. The most common sign is a high steppage gait where it looks like someone is marching on one side. This is a medical emergency in some cases, but not others. It depends on the cause ‍⚕️. S3C.

Little late night magic trick on the knee. This is called a deep tendon reflex (muscle spindle reflex/response for the geeks). We do this to test the conduction of nerves. When nerves are a little angry or have been pushed on (usually from a slipped disc) they can stop reflexes working properly. S3C.

Quick pit stop with one of our sponsored cyclists to keep his motor (spine) going. Whilst exercise is a miracle medicine for the spine, muscles and joints, doing too much of anything in one direction can lead to problems. Take hunched over a road bike for example. Make sure you move well in all directions and then move often. S3C.

Do you play soccer? Do you play on artificial turf? In this picture we have a fantastic looking pair of turf soccer boots . Notice they don't have big studs (called cleats). This is because if you wear outdoor, normal soccer boots with big spikes/studs/blades on artificial turf you may be more likely to do your ACL or tear your knee structures. Big spikes increase something called rotational traction. This means your boots sink like you're stuck in mud and then you twist your knee around. Over time, this typically doesn't end well. With so many new artificial turf fields popping up around Sydney, and other areas, make sure you're wearing the right soccer shoes !

Tendon or muscle injury? What is the difference between high load exercise for a muscle or a tendon? Here is a quick tip. High muscle load exercises means you lift or do an exercise with a heavy weight ‍♀️. High tendon exercise load means you use your tendon like a spring. Using your tendon like a spring means doing things like hoping, sprinting and jumping ‍♂️. If you have a tendon injury you need to do more than just lift heavy, or do eccentrics. High load tendon exercises are important in getting back to your pre-injury state. It can be the difference between successful rehab or not . Speak to your chiropractor or physiotherapist ‍⚕️.

How do you get better after an intervertebral disc injury such as a slipped disc, a disc herniation or sciatica? There are 4 key phases. Here we see Noor @4daesthetics smashing phase 3: Recovery of function. During this recovery phase, single leg deadlifts are an excellent exercise. Single leg deadlifts require flexion (bending forward), coordination and strength . When used appropriately are an excellent tool to get you back to your pre-injury condition.

Getting our ultra marathon runners ready for the big eventQuick tip, you don't need to run hours like these guys. Just 20 minutes of exercise has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory. We age and get conditions like arthritis through inflammation. Maybe it's time to put down the anti-ageing face cream or joint supplements and hit a 20 minutes workout or run

After an 8 hour examination at Geelong Hospital, this is the face of a man who became the first and only chiropractor in Australia to hold the McKenzie certification. The McKenzie Institute is the absolute best of the best for mechanical spinal and extremity diagnosis and treatment (MDT)

Did you know that both tight muscles and tight joint structures can cause a joint to feel tight or jammed up. Sometimes it's a muscle, other times it's a joint, and sometimes one can cause the other so you can have both. At times it's hard for someone to actually tell which is causing what because they can all feel the same. In this video, someone presents to us with long term tightness in the hip. She has been stretching this tight hip for a long time without getting anywhere. It wasn't until we turned her hip 'out' that she was able to stretch her hip properly at the 'right' angle, that she started getting results. The key to any stretch is to explore multiple angles and ranges to see how best to do the stretch (get the most benefit).There is no correct angle or one size fits all for stretching. Explore different angles within your stretches. If you're unsure, see your chiro or physio. S3C

Here's a tip for office workers, runners and people with hip and low back pain. Sitting can lead to shortening of the muscle in the front of the hips (hip flexors). This turns your bum muscles (gluts) and low back muscles off. It's like driving in the dark without headlights . These muscles that have just been turned off are very important for a healthy hip and low back. One of the best ways to turn these low back and hip muscles back on (like a light ) is with an exercise like this, where we are standing and contracting the gluts.

Interesting Monday fact about muscle and joint pain. As we age most of our muscles and joints experience less pain (prevalence reduces). Though, as we age pain in our hip, knee and foot is likely to increase. Most noticeable when walking or going down stairs. Take good care of your hips, knees and feet by asking your chiro or physio how. S3C.

The word chiropractic literally means 'done by hand'. But what is done by the hand with modern chiropractic? Well, more than you might think. A chiropractors hands are made for advanced non-surgical spine, muscle and joint treatment. Said simply, they fix sore muscles, joints and spinal structures. Chiropractors use their hands to manipulate (crack), and mobilise (move) stiff joints. Chiropractors free up tight muscles and help stretch structures such as ligaments, tendons and joints. Chiropractors get a bit nutty sometimes and wave their hands to and fro, giving education, advice and reassurance that all will be ok when you're in pain. Chiropractors grab out the chalk board and become your spine, muscle and joint coach on how to prevent, overcome and recover from injury. A chiropractor will do all they can to be there in your time of need and this may mean using their hands to write an x-ray referral to see what exactly is going wrong, or write a referral to another specialist who can help with your problem a little more (chiropractic hands can't fix everything). Done by hand, may just mean your chiropractor will guide you through the best rehab exercise to help fix your injury and get you back on your feet. When it comes to chiropractic 'done by hand' secretly means chiropractors will also throw a foot, elbow and knee in there too if it means we can help you in your recovery. If you have spine, joint or muscle problems, go to your chiropractor and you'll be in the very best hands possible. S3C.

Have you got neck pain? Here's a tip. Sitting with your neck bent forward like this, puts up to 80% more pressure through your neck joints (intervertebral discs). These neck joints are just like the tyres on your car . When you put 80% too much air in your car tyres all the time they break down and wear out. Your neck joints are just the same. Sit up properly at your desk and don't look down at your computer or device all the time. It may stop you from getting a flat tyre (slipped disc).

This year 40% of Australia will get back pain, its nice to know that Sydney Spine & Sports Centre has your back. Here's some nice facts about back pain.

1. Back pain is normal
2. If you get back pain once, you'll probably get it again and that's normal too
3. The definition of 'acute' and 'chronic' don't mean too much when describing back pain. So don't focus on these
4. Back pain cost the government more money than any other disease for which there is data on
5. For workers, back pain is the leading cause of someone having a day off
6. Only 25-40% of people will seek help for back pain (and there is so much that can be done)
7. These are my favourite. There is pretty much no good quality evidence for the following when used by themselves (monotherapies)
i. Laser
ii. Traction
iii. Thermal treatments
iv. TENS
v. Bed rest
vi. Acupuncture
vii. A truck load more (if it sounds fancy it probably sucks)
8. There is good evidence for the following
i. Manipulation (short term)
ii. Exercise
iii. Education
iv. Behavioural therapy.

There is more evidence for what chiropractors and physiotherapists do (the above), than drugs such as NSAIDs, simple analgesics, or more powerful drugs. (Might be good for a little short term relief but none proven better to each other so don't get caught up in the marketing mumbo jumbo)

Next time you have a bout of back pain go have a chat to your chiro or physio.

We have had a huge number of knee pain patients today with tendon problems. The problem with tendons is, they will not heal unless you stimulate them with exercises. You know what, I'm going to say that again! TENDONS ONLY HEAL WITH EXERCISE: its the only thing that forces them to reorganise after injury. Sure, you can get rid of pain with things like medications and injections but there is only one thing, and one thing alone that rebuilds a tendon..... exercises! Just make sure it's the correct exercise!